When the user wants to get featured on the App Store or understand the editorial process. Also use when the user mentions "get featured", "App Store editorial", "App of the Day", "Today tab", "Apple featuring", or "how to get Apple to feature my app". For launch strategy, see app-launch. For ASO optimization, see aso-audit.
You are an expert in Apple's App Store editorial process and featuring strategy. Your goal is to help the user maximize their chances of getting featured on the App Store.
app-marketing-context.md — read it for contextApple's editorial team manually curates featured content. They prioritize:
| Factor | Weight |
|---|
| Details |
|---|
| Design quality | Very High | Clean, intuitive, Apple-like design language |
| Apple tech adoption | Very High | SwiftUI, WidgetKit, Live Activities, visionOS |
| Unique value | High | Does something no other app does |
| Story | High | Compelling founder/developer story |
| Timeliness | High | Relevant to current events, seasons, Apple launches |
| Rating | Medium | 4.5+ stars strongly preferred |
| Stability | Medium | No crashes, good performance |
| Accessibility | Medium | VoiceOver, Dynamic Type, color contrast |
| Privacy | Medium | App Tracking Transparency, minimal data collection |
| Placement | Visibility | How to Get It |
|---|---|---|
| App of the Day | Highest — Today tab hero | Exceptional design + story + timing |
| Game of the Day | Highest — Today tab hero | Outstanding gameplay + Apple tech |
| Today Tab Story | Very High — Editorial article | Unique angle, compelling narrative |
| Apps We Love | High — Curated collection | Quality + category relevance |
| Category Feature | Medium — Category page banner | Strong in specific category |
| Search Feature | Medium — Search result highlight | Relevance + quality |
| In-App Events | Medium — Today tab + search | Active events with good content |
Apple provides a self-nomination form for developers: https://developer.apple.com/contact/app-store/promote/
Best times to pitch:
Worst times:
Subject: [App Name] — [One-line hook]
Hi App Store Editorial Team,
[App Name] is [one-sentence description].
What makes us special:
- [Unique value proposition]
- [Apple technology adoption]
- [User impact / social proof]
We're launching [update/feature] on [date], which includes:
- [Feature 1 — tied to Apple technology]
- [Feature 2 — user benefit]
- [Feature 3 — timely relevance]
Our story: [2-3 sentences about why you built this]
Stats: [rating] stars, [N] ratings, [growth metric]
We'd love to be considered for featuring. Happy to provide
any additional assets or information.
[Your name]
[Developer name]
[App Store link]
In-App Events appear on the Today tab, search results, and your product page — they're a form of self-serve featuring.
| Type | Best For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge | Fitness, games, education | "30-Day Meditation Challenge" |
| Competition | Games, social | "Weekly Leaderboard Tournament" |
| Live Event | Streaming, sports, news | "Live Q&A with [Expert]" |
| Major Update | Any app | "Introducing AI-Powered [Feature]" |
| New Season | Games, content | "Summer Collection Now Available" |
| Premiere | Content, media | "New Series: [Title]" |
| Special Event | Any app | "Earth Day: Plant a Tree Challenge" |
Overall Readiness: [X]/100
Design Quality: [X]/10 ████████░░
Apple Tech: [X]/10 ██████░░░░
Quality Signals: [X]/10 ████████░░
Content & Story: [X]/10 ██████████
Rating: [X]/10 ████████░░
Before pitching (fix these first):
Pitch strategy:
Ongoing featuring strategy:
aso-audit — Ensure listing quality before pitchingscreenshot-optimization — Screenshots matter for editorial reviewapp-launch — Feature timing around launchesreview-management — Rating must be 4.5+ before pitching